Wonder how this lot would do against the current side?

[Lifelong supporter]

https://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/sport/football/pat-lally-to-take-centre-stage-as-doncaster-rovers-1981-promotion-heroes-get-set-for-reunion-4584531

[Peebles Rover]

A good question would also be, which of these players would you swap into our present team. Little, Russell, Snod, Lister, Warboys? Pugh?

[BillyStubbsTears]

In terms of their ability compared to the standard of the day, the following would be better than we have at present.

Russell
Lister
Dowd
G Snodin
I Snodin
Little
Warboys

Possibly Nimmo as an out and out poacher.

Compared to the standards of today, none of them playing as they did in 1981 would get within a country mile of the current squad. Although I fear for the manager telling that to Snod and Animal.

[selby]

  If the referee was from 1981 the present side would spend more time on the floor than running.
  They would be constantly offside
  The keeper would get penalised for holding the ball
  Most of them would have to learn to take a proper throw in from roughly where it went out of play.
  They would soon learn to keep their mouth shut if they disagreed with a decision.
  They would have to go off the field when injured, and the only thing to get them better would be a sponge and a bucket.
  The St Johns Ambulance Brigade would be there to carry dead bodies off.
  And proper linesmen would give fee kicks and penalties.
  Anything from the knee down was considered going for the ball and ok.
   A good sliding tackle was considered an art form, and got the crowd going.

[BillyStubbsTears]

If the current side played that 1981 side, there wouldn't be a foul in the game. The current side wouldn't need to foul anyone. The 1981 side wouldn't ever get close enough to their opponent to foul someone.

I loved that 1981 side. A wonderful combination of grit and elegance. But you have to face facts. Today's players are utterly unrecognisable to those in the game from 40 years ago, in ability, physique, speed of thought and speed of action.

You don't believe me, have a think about that pirouette Sterry did on Tuesday night and ask yourself how many players in the entirity of world football could have don't that 40 years ago.

[Peebles Rover]

I think if animal was on the other team Sterry would not have completed that wee pirouette!!

[Nudga]

If the current side played that 1981 side, there wouldn't be a foul in the game. The current side wouldn't need to foul anyone. The 1981 side wouldn't ever get close enough to their opponent to foul someone.

I loved that 1981 side. A wonderful combination of grit and elegance. But you have to face facts. Today's players are utterly unrecognisable to those in the game from 40 years ago, in ability, physique, speed of thought and speed of action.

You don't believe me, have a think about that pirouette Sterry did on Tuesday night and ask yourself how many players in the entirity of world football could have don't that 40 years ago.

If that 81 side was in the present day with all the science, coaching, diet and physical conditioning, what then? Which division do you think they could have played in?
Not easy to answer I know but interested in your thoughts.

[IDM]

I think if animal was on the other team Sterry would not have completed that wee pirouette!!

Maybe he would have done it, but definitely not twice.!!

[Filo]

I think if animal was on the other team Sterry would not have completed that wee pirouette!!

If animal hasn’t got a Rovers heritage number, he certainly should have one

[TonySoprano]

Winners play to the standard of the day, so any one of them wouldn't be out of place.

Just like George best, Maradona, cruyff, Beckenbauer, keegan etc would still be world class today.

 if you put haaland in the 70s, he'd be half the player he is now, smoking 20 a day and drinking and poorer standards etc.

[Armthorpe mickler]

Think that 1980 side would beat today's especially if they had the diet improvement etc.

[TonySoprano]

Think that 1980 side would beat today's especially if they had the diet improvement etc.

Precisely, the players are the constant.
What changes are the diet, training etc.

[drfchound]

I don’t think that the 80s team would stand a chance against todays team.
After all, most of them would probably be in their seventies now.

[BillyStubbsTears]

If the current side played that 1981 side, there wouldn't be a foul in the game. The current side wouldn't need to foul anyone. The 1981 side wouldn't ever get close enough to their opponent to foul someone.

I loved that 1981 side. A wonderful combination of grit and elegance. But you have to face facts. Today's players are utterly unrecognisable to those in the game from 40 years ago, in ability, physique, speed of thought and speed of action.

You don't believe me, have a think about that pirouette Sterry did on Tuesday night and ask yourself how many players in the entirity of world football could have don't that 40 years ago.

If that 81 side was in the present day with all the science, coaching, diet and physical conditioning, what then? Which division do you think they could have played in?
Not easy to answer I know but interested in your thoughts.

I've absolutely no idea how any individual would get on. My take though is that they had specific skills for their time. There's no guarantee that the specific players from that time would have had the mental discipline to engage with modern expectations of diets and training methods. It's so different it's essentially a different sport. And absolutely a different lifestyle.

Billy Bremner is a good example. He was magnificent in his day, but he liked a fag and a drink and his physique wasn't a patch on modern players' physiques. Could he have given up the booze and fags and hit modern standards? Who knows? Maybe. Maybe not. But it's not a given.

[TonySoprano]

Wouldn't be a case of giving up the booze or fags if he wasn't on them anyway.
Different eras. If those players were born now instead of then, they absolutely would still be playing at the top level.

[Spilsby Red]

Imagine Colin Douglas playing today pissed up. Like some have said, totally different today’s footballers to the 1980s. Think the 1980s players were a harder in there play

[PDX_Rover]

Charles Charlie Charles would be fine today…

[BillyStubbsTears]

I've pointed this out several times before but here goes again.

There's a video online of the 1962 WC final. Brazil, the best team in history with Djalmar Santos, Didi, Vava, Garrincha etc. Against one of the best sides from Europe, Czechoslovakia who had got to the semi of the previous Euros and were headed by Masopust, the European Footballer of the Year.

If you're going to comment on this subject, watch the first minute before you do.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?si=_YyeQj0TGyDCr_rf&t=61&v=2NJ_dSNj01E&feature=youtu.be&t=61

It's like a comedy piss take of what football was like in the old days. A top modern team would literally put 50 past them.

You cannot possibly argue that those players, given modern coaching, would be as good as DeBruyne or Haaland or Mbappe. They are literally playing a different sport.

That was the very best in the world, just 18 years before that 80/81 Rovers side, who were the 70th or so best side in one country.

[scawsby steve]

You can make the argument the other way. Would today's players, who are basically playing with a balloon in carpet slippers, have developed the same skills, and played at the same pace, with the old casey ball, and heavy boots covering their ankles?

[BillyStubbsTears]

You can make the argument the other way. Would today's players, who are basically playing with a balloon in carpet slippers, have developed the same skills, and played at the same pace, with the old casey ball, and heavy boots covering their ankles?

Watch the first minute of that video and tell me if you reckon Matthew Craig would misplaced a fiver yard pass when playing at walking pace with nobody pressing him, even if he was playing naked with his knackers in a vice?

Cos it happens about 5 times in that first minute.

[scawsby steve]

You can make the argument the other way. Would today's players, who are basically playing with a balloon in carpet slippers, have developed the same skills, and played at the same pace, with the old casey ball, and heavy boots covering their ankles?

Watch the first minute of that video and tell me if you reckon Matthew Craig would misplaced a fiver yard pass when playing at walking pace with nobody pressing him, even if he was playing naked with his knackers in a vice?

Cos it happens about 5 times in that first minute.

You need to be careful with the semantics here, BST, because it sounds like you're suggesting that Matty Craig is a better player than Pele, Zito, Didi, Vava, and Garrincha.

[Colin C No.3]

I've pointed this out several times before but here goes again.

There's a video online of the 1962 WC final. Brazil, the best team in history with Djalmar Santos, Didi, Vava, Garrincha etc. Against one of the best sides from Europe, Czechoslovakia who had got to the semi of the previous Euros and were headed by Masopust, the European Footballer of the Year.

If you're going to comment on this subject, watch the first minute before you do.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?si=_YyeQj0TGyDCr_rf&t=61&v=2NJ_dSNj01E&feature=youtu.be&t=61

It's like a comedy piss take of what football was like in the old days. A top modern team would literally put 50 past them.

You cannot possibly argue that those players, given modern coaching, would be as good as DeBruyne or Haaland or Mbappe. They are literally playing a different sport.

That was the very best in the world, just 18 years before that 80/81 Rovers side, who were the 70th or so best side in one country.

Think you’ll find the 1970 Brazil World Cup team were widely acclaimed as being ‘The best team in the world’.

Don’t think I need name the players.

And the 1970 England squad was better than the 1966 squad.

[Campsall rover]

If the current side played that 1981 side, there wouldn't be a foul in the game. The current side wouldn't need to foul anyone. The 1981 side wouldn't ever get close enough to their opponent to foul someone.

I loved that 1981 side. A wonderful combination of grit and elegance. But you have to face facts. Today's players are utterly unrecognisable to those in the game from 40 years ago, in ability, physique, speed of thought and speed of action.

You don't believe me, have a think about that pirouette Sterry did on Tuesday night and ask yourself how many players in the entirity of world football could have don't that 40 years ago.

If that 81 side was in the present day with all the science, coaching, diet and physical conditioning, what then? Which division do you think they could have played in?
Not easy to answer I know but interested in your thoughts.

I've absolutely no idea how any individual would get on. My take though is that they had specific skills for their time. There's no guarantee that the specific players from that time would have had the mental discipline to engage with modern expectations of diets and training methods. It's so different it's essentially a different sport. And absolutely a different lifestyle.

Billy Bremner is a good example. He was magnificent in his day, but he liked a fag and a drink and his physique wasn't a patch on modern players' physiques. Could he have given up the booze and fags and hit modern standards? Who knows? Maybe. Maybe not. But it's not a given.

Well Billy Bremner lived and breathed football.
I am absolutely 100% sure he would have adapted to todays football life style and would not drink and smoke BST.
It is just a totally different environment for Footballers now from youth level right through to being a seasoned pro.
The culture they are brought up in is so different now and I think 95% of players in the 60/70/80’s would have had no problem playing in the modern game with all the restrictions that goes with it regarding their social lives.

[Butchers Red]

Imagine Colin Douglas playing today pissed up. Like some have said, totally different today’s footballers to the 1980s. Think the 1980s players were a harder in there play

I remember his debut for us - either he was crap or pissed......................

[BillyStubbsTears]

I've pointed this out several times before but here goes again.

There's a video online of the 1962 WC final. Brazil, the best team in history with Djalmar Santos, Didi, Vava, Garrincha etc. Against one of the best sides from Europe, Czechoslovakia who had got to the semi of the previous Euros and were headed by Masopust, the European Footballer of the Year.

If you're going to comment on this subject, watch the first minute before you do.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?si=_YyeQj0TGyDCr_rf&t=61&v=2NJ_dSNj01E&feature=youtu.be&t=61

It's like a comedy piss take of what football was like in the old days. A top modern team would literally put 50 past them.

You cannot possibly argue that those players, given modern coaching, would be as good as DeBruyne or Haaland or Mbappe. They are literally playing a different sport.

That was the very best in the world, just 18 years before that 80/81 Rovers side, who were the 70th or so best side in one country.

Think you’ll find the 1970 Brazil World Cup team were widely acclaimed as being ‘The best team in the world’.

Don’t think I need name the players.

And the 1970 England squad was better than the 1966 squad.

I meant "at the time". Apologies for the confusion.

[TonySoprano]

I've pointed this out several times before but here goes again.

There's a video online of the 1962 WC final. Brazil, the best team in history with Djalmar Santos, Didi, Vava, Garrincha etc. Against one of the best sides from Europe, Czechoslovakia who had got to the semi of the previous Euros and were headed by Masopust, the European Footballer of the Year.

If you're going to comment on this subject, watch the first minute before you do.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?si=_YyeQj0TGyDCr_rf&t=61&v=2NJ_dSNj01E&feature=youtu.be&t=61

It's like a comedy piss take of what football was like in the old days. A top modern team would literally put 50 past them.

You cannot possibly argue that those players, given modern coaching, would be as good as DeBruyne or Haaland or Mbappe. They are literally playing a different sport.

That was the very best in the world, just 18 years before that 80/81 Rovers side, who were the 70th or so best side in one country.

Right, so you reckon the players are completely different nowadays? How is that?
Has evolution sped up exponentially in the past 50 years?
Best call the Royal society, they'll love to hear about your findings.

[selby]

  Football saved Dennis Law, who suffered from malnutrition and was put on a special diet and training regime at Huddersfield when he first came down to England.
  To compare I would say that you have to look now at the Argentinians, and African countries start to life to be somewhere comparable to the start in life some great British players had in the 40's and 50's.
  Because of coaching and the way they are looked after when picked up they don't do bad, so I am sure given the same support and teachings and a sportsman's diet the great players of the past would be just that , great.
  The one thing they have over modern players is they were the original innovators to learn off, the Cruyff turn an example, the Mathews feint and dart off the other foot, the slalom runs of Cliff Jones and Best past six or seven players, they had their day in the sun, and gave young boys like me great memories, of course they would be great players now, and didn't have the luxury of manicured pitches to suggest anything different is ignorant.
  I don't see any difference, I appreciate the great players of today just as much as I enjoyed the great players of the past proud to have seen a field full of them at Wembley when England played the rest of the world with most of the greats at the time on the field.
  Do I enjoy driving my modern SUV any more than I enjoyed my first Wolsey Hornet? no, they are different I like it as much things move on, do I compare them? no, ones fond memories the new one a comfortable ride to get around in and much more complicated, enjoy today remember the greats, don't compare you can't.
   

[BillyStubbsTears]

I've pointed this out several times before but here goes again.

There's a video online of the 1962 WC final. Brazil, the best team in history with Djalmar Santos, Didi, Vava, Garrincha etc. Against one of the best sides from Europe, Czechoslovakia who had got to the semi of the previous Euros and were headed by Masopust, the European Footballer of the Year.

If you're going to comment on this subject, watch the first minute before you do.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?si=_YyeQj0TGyDCr_rf&t=61&v=2NJ_dSNj01E&feature=youtu.be&t=61

It's like a comedy piss take of what football was like in the old days. A top modern team would literally put 50 past them.

You cannot possibly argue that those players, given modern coaching, would be as good as DeBruyne or Haaland or Mbappe. They are literally playing a different sport.

That was the very best in the world, just 18 years before that 80/81 Rovers side, who were the 70th or so best side in one country.

Right, so you reckon the players are completely different nowadays? How is that?
Has evolution sped up exponentially in the past 50 years?
Best call the Royal society, they'll love to hear about your findings.

No. I think the GAME is utterly different and as a result the demands on players are unrecognisable from those in previous generations. As a result of THAT, it is frankly stupid to say that the SPECIFIC players from previous generations would be able to perform today if they were exposed to modern training and diets.

Of course, if you took a million kids with football talent from 1960 or 1980 and transposed them into the present day and trained, fed and taught them how modern kids are, you'd get equally good players. But it wouldn't be Pele or Moore or Beckenbauer or Snodin who'd make the grade. It'd be others who for various reasons were not suitable for football as it was set up in the 60s or 80s.

[BillyStubbsTears]

You can make the argument the other way. Would today's players, who are basically playing with a balloon in carpet slippers, have developed the same skills, and played at the same pace, with the old casey ball, and heavy boots covering their ankles?

Watch the first minute of that video and tell me if you reckon Matthew Craig would misplaced a fiver yard pass when playing at walking pace with nobody pressing him, even if he was playing naked with his knackers in a vice?

Cos it happens about 5 times in that first minute.

You need to be careful with the semantics here, BST, because it sounds like you're suggesting that Matty Craig is a better player than Pele, Zito, Didi, Vava, and Garrincha.

Matty Craig playing today is objectively a far better player than any of those playing in their day. Absolutely no question.

He controls the ball, picks passes and makes tackles in a game that is unrecognisably faster and more physically demanding than it was in 1960 or 70.

[TonySoprano]

I've pointed this out several times before but here goes again.

There's a video online of the 1962 WC final. Brazil, the best team in history with Djalmar Santos, Didi, Vava, Garrincha etc. Against one of the best sides from Europe, Czechoslovakia who had got to the semi of the previous Euros and were headed by Masopust, the European Footballer of the Year.

If you're going to comment on this subject, watch the first minute before you do.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?si=_YyeQj0TGyDCr_rf&t=61&v=2NJ_dSNj01E&feature=youtu.be&t=61

It's like a comedy piss take of what football was like in the old days. A top modern team would literally put 50 past them.

You cannot possibly argue that those players, given modern coaching, would be as good as DeBruyne or Haaland or Mbappe. They are literally playing a different sport.

That was the very best in the world, just 18 years before that 80/81 Rovers side, who were the 70th or so best side in one country.

Right, so you reckon the players are completely different nowadays? How is that?
Has evolution sped up exponentially in the past 50 years?
Best call the Royal society, they'll love to hear about your findings.

No. I think the GAME is utterly different and as a result the demands on players are unrecognisable from those in previous generations. As a result of THAT, it is frankly stupid to say that the SPECIFIC players from previous generations would be able to perform today if they were exposed to modern training and diets.

Of course, if you took a million kids with football talent from 1960 or 1980 and transposed them into the present day and trained, fed and taught them how modern kids are, you'd get equally good players. But it wouldn't be Pele or Moore or Beckenbauer or Snodin who'd make the grade. It'd be others who for various reasons were not suitable for football as it was set up in the 60s or 80s.

Are you actually saying Pele, moore, Beckenbauer or snodin wouldn't make the grade today? 

It's relative ! Those players, if they were born in 2000 would be playing at exactly the same level as they were back then.
Were not talking about a 24 Yr old Pele using a time machine to transport to the current time, which of course they would struggle.
If Pele was born in 2000 he'd still be the best.